System for operating glow relay tubes



April 2, 1935. R. H. SlNDEN 1,996,556

SYSTEM FOR OPERATING GLOW RELAY TUBES Filed Nov. 22, 1928 INVENTOR RJ-LSIN u ATTORNE Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SYSTEM FOR OPERATING GLOW RELAY TUBES Roger Hull Sinden, Caldwell, N. J., assignor to Westinghouse Lamp Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 22, 1928, Serial No. 321,188

6 Claims. (Cl. 250--41.5)

This invention relates to a system for operatler, a system is described in which such a starting ing a glow relay tube of the type described in anode tube is set into operation by an increase Patent 1,840,055, issued Jan. 5, 1932, to Harvey C. in current flowing through a photo-electric cell Re er for Glow relay tube, an improvement in response to an increased illumination thereof.

of which is described in my copending applica- One of the objects of the present invention is 5 tion Serial No. 295,096 filed July 24, 1928 and ento reverse this operation and produce a system t tled, Glow relay tubes". in which the starting anode tube is caused to The glow relay tube described in the above operate when the illumination falls below a defimentioned patent of Dr. Harvey c. Rentschler nite value and to ceas opera w e the 10, consists briefly of an envelope containing a gastensity of t e light increases above such Value- 10,

eous medium having a cathode of relatively large Another object is to provide 8, y t Of p area and a main anode and a starting anode of e g 8 s ay tube of the starting anode yp small areas. in which the tube is in a normally operating or The main anode is positioned with respect to broken down condition and in which the opera- 15, the cathode so that a considerably higher voltage t thereof is caused t0 be discontinued y feeble is required to start a discharge between said elecelectric currents flowing in an external circuit. trode and the cathode than is ordinarily available n a rda w th my invention I pp y t from the circuit in which these electrodes are in-p ircuit of the starting anode e w connected, whereas, thestarting anode is differcurrent through afixed or variable condenser, the 20. ently spaced with respect to the cathode and p y of Which is y slightly higher than may be constructed of a different material from t at qui d t p t am unt of u t n the main anode so that a discharge may be started essary to initiate the discharge from he t n between such starting anode and the cathode at an d s t at u d n al p rat c ndi i ns a considerably lower Voltage tha that necessary the tube will remain in a broken down condition. to initiate the main discharge, In order to discontinue the operation of the 25,

The starting anode is positioned at th it l relay tube I connect a shunt path between the distance from the cathode, or from an extension starting anode and the Cathode which is a of the cathode at which the minimum voltage is Y of sllffleiently high resistance o p vent l required to start the discharge with the particupp a current flow therethreugh, bu the lar gas at the pressure employed. The mai resistance of which may be decreased in response 30v anode is arranged at a. greater distance from the to an external condition to allow the current cathode. As a consequence of this construction, s pp d to t e S a anode, by the condenser, if a predetermined voltage is impressed between to a 01? through the shunt eil'euitone form the main anode and the cathode, somewhat lower of ab e es st device which y b 35, than that necessary to initiate a discharge therepl y d in e shunt P is a Photo-electric cell between but sufliciently high to maintain such a which, when subject to a predetermined illumidischarge after it is once started and if a second t n, perm ts enough cu t to 110W through source oi potential is applied between the startthe shunt path to prevent a d a ge Occurring. ing anode and the cathode of sufficient voltage b tween the s ar anode a the cathode of 40 to initiate a discharge between such electrodes the r l y tube- 40 in response to some external condition permit- In order that the invention may be more fully ting only a feeble current to flow in the starting understood reference will be had to the accomanode circuit, the main anode discharge may be De y ng d aw in Which the Single figure started upon the initiation of the discharge from lustrates an electrical sys embodying y the starting anode. vention. 45

With such a device the extremely feeble cur- In the drawing I v illustrated ia r mm irents obtained for instance, from aphoto-electric cally a starting anode tube I having a cylindrical cell, which may be in the nature of a micro-amcathode 2, a main anode 3 and a starting anode pere or a few mlcro-amperes, produced in the 4. A starting tip or projection 5 extends from circuit including the starting anode which, for the cathode into close proximity to the anode 4 50 convenience is termed, the in-put circuit, will iniso that the discharge between the starting anode tiate a discharge in the main anode circuit or outand the cathode will be initiated at a lower voltl Circuit several hundred milli-ampeles, age than that required to initiate a discharge which is sufilcient to operate a sensitive relay. from th anode 3 when t t is in non-op- In the above mentioned patent of Dr. Rentschcrating condition. The cathode is connected through a conductor 6 to a source of current such, as a 110 volt A. C. line I. The main anode 3 is also connected to the line I through a conductor 8 and a winding 9 of an electric switch It. The break down voltage of the tube between the main anode 3 and the cathode 2 is adjusted sothat it will be slightly higher than the voltage of the line 1, whereby normally no current will flow through the tube except when the break down resistance of the tube is decreased by the occurrence of a discharge between the starting anode and the cathode.

The starting anode is supplied with current 1 from the line I through the conductor 5i, condenser H and conductor E2. The capacity of the condenser H is such that it will supply current slightly in excess of that necessary to create and maintain a discharge between the starting'anode 4 and the cathode 2.

With the circuit arrangement so far described a voltage will build up on theplates of the condenser l l' sufficiently high to exceed the break down potential of'the starting anode anda dis charge under normal conditions will occur between'the starting anode and the cathode, which will permit alarger current discharge to flow between the main anode 3 and the cathode,

, thereby energizing the winding 9 and operating the Switch l0.

Inorder to discontinue the operation oi the glow relay tube in accordance with an increase in'the intensity of alight source, I connect a photo-electric cell #3 in shunt-to the starting anode 4 and the cathode 2 by the conductors l4 and I5 respec tively,- the former of which is joinedto the anode It of the photo-electric cell and thelatter of which is joined'to the cathode H. With such an arrangement, when light below a predetermined value falls upon the photoelectric cell the 'resistanceof the cell to current flow is high enough to prevent any appreciable leakage from the condenser H and, the current andflvoltagesupplied by the condenser is suffi'cient to maintain the starting anode discharge.

However, when the light falling upon the photoelectric cell increases to a predetermined value ratu'st It will be noted that I have provided an ar rangement by which'the operation of the glow relaytube is caused to be discontinued when the light falling uponthe photo-electric cell increases to a definite value and it is caused to operate when the light falls below such predetermined Valuer Y -l\ /ian-y;changes may be madein the circuit arrangement and in the nature of the current limiting device H and the variable resistance device- 5 l3, and I do not'desire to be limited to the specificarrangement shown and described. -What is claimed is:

I. An electric control system comprising an inputcircuit and an output circuit, a glow relay tube included in both said input circuit and said output circuit, a capacity coupling for permitting a small flow of current in said input circuit and also being part of said input circuit and photoelectric means responsive to predetermined light intensities for shunting said current across saidtube externally thereof.

2. An electric control system including-a glow relay tube having a cathode, a main anodeand [circuit across said starting anode and cathode externally of said tube.

3. An electric control system including a glow relay tube having a cathode, a main anode and a starting anode comprising an input circuit and an output circuit, said input circuit including the" starting anode and the cathode ofsaid tube,'said output circuit including themain anode and the cathode of said tube whereby a discharge between the main anode and the cathode occurs onlyin response'to a discharge between the cathode and starting anode, capacity coupling means also in c'luded'in said input circuit for enabling a low current discharge only between said starting anode and cathode and a photo-electric cell'finshunt relationtothe starting anode and" the cathode.- 4:. An electric'system, including a "relay tube having a main anode, a cathode and 'a starting anode, comprising a circuit including said starting anode, said cathode, a sourceof potential and means for restricting the amount ofcurrent fio'wbetween said starting anode and cathode, another circuit including a source of potential, said main anodeand cathode, and a radiation responsive means in electrical parallel relationship to said starting anode and said cathode;

'5. An electric system, including a tube'having a main ano'deja cathode and astarting an odecorn'prising a circuit including said starting anode, said cathode, a condenser and assumeof potential in electricalseries relationship, a'n other circuit including said main anode, said cathode and a source of potential in electrical series relationship, and radiation responsive means in electrical'parallel relationship to said starting anode and said cathode. j t I g 6. In combination with a load circuit includ ing a switch, ofa control system-including a glow d'ischargetube of thestarting anode type having a main anode, a cathode and a-starting anode, said control system having a plurality of cit cuits, one circuit including a source'of potential, said-starting-anode, said"cathode and a condenser inelectrical series relationship, a second circuit including said source of potential, said cathode, said main anode and'an energy translating means in electrical series relationship and. a third circuit. including said condenser, .a Par: diation responsive means. and said sourcaof. potential in series, said switch being operable uponsaid energiz ation of; said energy translat ingmeans. V v g ROGER HULL SINDEN. 

